Starting to plan a trip to Walt Disney World?
Let the geeks assist you!
Check out our guide to planning a Walt Disney World vacation.
Let’s get started…
The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Hollywood Studios are the four theme parks at Walt Disney World. It covers over 47 square miles.
You can find… 4 theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Hollywood Studios Beautiful Resorts and Hotels.
There are two waterparks in Orlando: Typhoon Lagoon (currently closed) and Blizzard Beach Golf courses Disney Springs is an area where you may shop and dine.
Getting started: Plan a Disney Trip Florida GUIDE
Before you can plan a Disney trip in Florida you need to know WHEN you are going.
Factors in this decision can be kids school schedules, holidays, work vacations and more.
Maybe you want to go for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary?
Other factors you should consider are…
Weather: Are you a “hate being hot” person? You should hit up the park in May or September, or are you a “below 70 is too cold for me” person? June-Mid August are your sweet (read hot) spot. Make sure you are comfortable, you will be walking a lot!
Crowds: There are several special events throughout the year at Disney World, if you want to be a little lowkey and not fight a ton of people (it IS Disney World), steer clear of Thanksgiving week, Christmas specifically December 26-31, New Years, the weeks surrounding Easter (generally Spring Breaks) and be sure to check for events like Dapper Day, Mardi Gras, Pop Warner Week and others.
Make sure to check your dates with the Disney World calendar so you know if pricing will change based upon weekends or a holiday.
Once you know WHEN let’s talk about WHAT you want to do when you get there.
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Plan a Disney Trip Florida Guide: What do you want to do?
As we mentioned before there are four amazing parks to choose from.
Are you planning to go hard and hit all four or do you have plans to come back and want to explore every inch of 1-2 parks.
The best way to figure out what you want to do is using a Guidebook.
There are several, but here are a couple of great options:
- Birnbaum’s 2022 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide
- The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2022
If you know you have a certain amount of days to be on vacation, then the HOW LONG will be an easy decision. If you have an indefinite amount of time, once you’ve determined the WHAT, you can figure out a schedule that will work for you and your group.
The Nerds recommend for first timers, at least a week.
Remember, pricing goes down the longer you stay and play.
If you want to just taste a little of each park, you could get away with 3-4 days. If you have a very minimal amount of time, we suggest choosing one park and exploring it to the fullest!
Which brings us to…
What is the cheapest way to plan a trip to Disney World?
When is the best time to visit Disney World on a budget? The cheapest months are January through Presidents’ Day weekend. Late August through early September and non-holiday weekdays during October, November, and December are the next most affordable times. Decide if you want a one-day, five-day, or 10-day pass after you’ve booked your travel dates. Single park passes are available at Walt Disney World, as well as the park hopper option, which allows entrance into any of the four parks in one day.
RELATED: What is Disneyland Ticket Price? UPDATE October 2021
Here are a few price points to consider:
- One day Single Park Pass: $109
- One day Park Hopper Pass: $174
- 5 days Single Park Pass: $90
- 5 days Park Hopper Pass: $107
- 10 days Single Park Pass: $54
- 10 days Park Hopper Pass: $62
Take some time to consider WHERE YOU WILL STAY after you’ve finished the WHEN, WHAT, HOW LONG, and WHICH TICKETS. Take into account where you will stay when deciding where to go.
Plan a Disney Trip Florida Guide: Where will you stay?
Walt Disney World offers numerous hotels and resorts in its expansive lands.
Once you’ve decided all those elements, you’ll want to choose a hotel/resort that will allow you the maximum amount of time in the parks and the most restful nights of sleep within your budget and group number.
On-site hotels capture the magic 24/7, you will be completely immersed in all things Disney. These resorts give you extra perks like access to the boats, monorails and buses to the parks. Some also allow for early entrance into parks. All these amenities are amazing, but also come with a much larger price tag than off-site properties.
Off-site hotels can be wonderful if you are traveling in a group of 5 or more. The prices are kept down and they still offer top amenities.
The final piece of the planning puzzle is…
RELATED: The Best Hotels Disney World Florida: The Nerds Top Five
Plan a Disney Trip Florida Guide: How are you getting there?
Begin your air fare search sooner rather than later.
A fantastic tool for pricing out different airlines and dates is Google Flights.
It allows you to put in specific dates to and from locations and will send you updates with price changes, it will also tell you to book now or wait for a lower price.
If you are making the decision between two trips based on airfare (after deciding on all the other factors), you can put them both in and it will monitor your costs.
Be sure to plan how you are getting to and from the airport and your hotel. This will make your life easier and help you stay calm leading into and out of your incredible Disney experience.
Starting to plan a Disney trip in Florida can be stressful and exhausting, we hope this guide helps you take one step at a time so you enjoy the process.
With all the planning…don’t forget to take moments of spontaneity!
That’s when the magic happens!
